May President’s Message

In my work as an executive coach and organizational consultant, I use a philosophical approach called Appreciative Inquiry (AI). One of the primary tenets of AI is that “words create worlds.”

I find it inspirational that by using words, we can recreate, re-imagine, and reinvent our world. And that’s why I am committed to the Association for Women in Communication. As skilled communicators, we have the potential to create communities and organizations that we want to be part of.

I see the difference that good communication makes all the time: A nuanced conversation or well-written editorial bridges a cultural or philosophical divide. Appreciative listening helps someone to think deeply. A film or photograph motivates action. A provocative question inspires a new direction. Words creating worlds.

The 5th annual AWC SB Women of Achievement luncheon, From Breaking News to Awakening the Muse, on June 6th at the Hyatt Hotel, will honor two women communicators who are masters of their craft; their words truly have created new worlds.

Paula Lopez, KEY NEWS anchor, has broken news in our community—both heartbreaking and heartwarming—for the last 20 years. She has helped us to make sense of these events, and she has shaped how we experience them.

Perie Longo, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate Emeritus and poet for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, has been writing using poetry to heal and create hope for the last 25 years.

I, for one, can’t wait to hear these two women share their stories with us! I hope you will join us for lunch at the Hyatt on June 6th and experience first-hand how words can create worlds.Buy your ticket today!